Danbury mayor isn’t among state’s top 30 highest paid
Dean Esposito runs Connecticut’s seventh largest city
DANBURY — Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito runs the state’s seventh largest city, yet his budgeted salary of $135,000 doesn’t put him in the top 10 of Connecticut’s highest paid chief executive officers.
You’d have to scroll down to No. 32 to find Esposito’s name on the list of the state’s highestpaid mayors, first selectmen and town managers, according to a statewide review of municipal salaries in fiscal year 202223 by Hearst Connecticut Media.
At least one Danbury leader thinks the mayor’s salary should be higher to reflect the responsibilities of running a fast-growing city with a $295 million budget.
“The mayor of Danbury should be paid more and it has nothing to do with politics,” said Paul Rotello, the City Council’s Democratic Minority Leader, who admits his belief is “not shared by everyone.” “I said it when (Democrat) Gene Eriquez was mayor and I said it when (Republican) Mark Boughton was mayor and if we get a new mayor (in November) I will say it again.”
Why?
“There are many talented people in Danbury who will not run for mayor because of the time that the position requires and what that would mean for family life,” Rotello said. “But if you could send your kids to college (on a mayoral salary) … that would broaden the talent pool.” Rotello is referring to Danbury’s strong mayor form of government, where the incumbent oversees the city’s 23 departments, directs the annual budget process, speaks for city functions and operations, and keeps a full calendar of everything from cabinet meetings to community events.
On any given workday, Esposito, a Republican, sits in on 10 meetings, his staff said.
“I believe my salary as mayor is justified based upon the record of accomplishments and results of my administration,” Esposito said in a prepared response to Hearst Connecticut Media. “The salary for my position is 32nd out of 169 municipalities while Danbury is the seventh largest municipality in the state, demonstrating my commitment to finding every dollar I can to spend on our residents and our city.”
According to the salary analysis by Hearst Connecticut Media of the chief executive officers of municipalities with populations of at least 10,000 people, compensation ranged greatly.
The lowest salary clocked in at $15,000, but the majority of municipal CEOs had salaries of more than $100,000. More than two dozen had salaries that exceeded $150,000.
A leading Republican said Esposito’s salary reflected the fact that he wasn’t in politics for the money.
“How much would he make if he was running a $300 million corporation? Probably 10 times what the mayor of Danbury makes,” said Michael Safranek, Danbury’s Republican party leader. “I think it is good that being Danbury mayor is not about the money but about the love of the job. Running every two years and raising $150,000 for a job that pays $130,000 — you don’t do that if you don’t love what you are doing.”